Alex Ovechkin on pro-Putin video appearance: ‘I support my country’

Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin is entering his 22nd season in the NHL and has a chance to set another goal-scoring record.

But the NHL's all-time leading goal scorer's opening news conference for the 2026-27 season also dealt with his appearance in a political video for the United Russia Party, which supports president Vladimir Putin.

Multiple Russian news outlets have published images and video of the commercial showing Ovechkin, a Moscow native, standing behind Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov, a prominent figure in Putin's Kremlin and the leading parliamentary candidate for the United Russia Party. Other Russian celebrities appeared in the video.

"They asked me to do this, and I said yes," Ovechkin said at the opening of his news conference, which occurred on his 41st birthday.

He said there was no hesitiation on his part.

"I'm Russian and I support my country," he said.

He said he's planning to live with his family is Russia after he retires.

"I'm for peace and love and I hope everything is going to be OK," he said.

Ovechkin said he heard no backlash over the ad, but there has been.

Hall of Fame goaltender Dominik Hasek, a Czechia native and frequent critic…

Original source: https://www.usatoday.com/sports/